Last and insole gauging mechanism



Jan. 16, 1951 v. L.. KNEELAND 2,538,252

' LAST AND INSOLE GAUGING MCHANISM Filed March 3, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Patented Jan. 16,' 1951 UNITED sTATss eATENT oFF-ics LAST AND INSOLEGAUGIN G MECHANISM Verne L. Kneeland, Manchester, N. H.

Application March 3, 1949, Serial No. 79,388

This invention comprises a new and improved gauging mechanism forlocating an insole and last properly with respect to each other and to atool for performing an operation on the work so located. While notlimited thereto, an important' field of use of the invention is inconnection with insole tacking machines where it is desired first tolocate an insole accurately in conformity to the contour of the last,and then locate these assembled elements accurately in line with a tacknozzle and driver.

With these objects in View an important feature of the inventioncomprises gauges disposed one above the other for locating the toe of a'last and the toe of an insole, in combination with a tip line gauge orgauges arranged tocontact with the last and insole at one side inapproximately the location of the tip line, or slightly in advancethereof. Preferably and as herein shown, these gauges are mounted in acarriage which is movable longitudinally of the last in a path beneaththe tack nozzle so that the operator may establish the proper relationof last and insole and then move them in superposed relation to bringbeneath the tack nozzle the desired point in the insole for a tack, thispoint being often indicated by a mark previously placed upon the insolein the stock fitting operations.

Preferably I employ in combination with the toe and tip line gauges ofmy improved mechanism a ball line gauge constructed and arranged toengage either a right or left hand last as the case may be, thusproviding a three-point engagement of the last which positivelydetermines its position with great accuracy. The separate gauges areeach individually adjustable so that the mechanism may be set up andarranged to handle the last and insole of any style of shoe. Further, asherein shown, the collective gauges are mounted on a carrier whichadvances them in convenient location for the operator in presenting thework, and then permits the accurately gauged work to be advanced in apredetermined path to the operating point.

These and other features of the invention will be best understood andappreciated from the following description of a preferred embodimentthereof, selected for purposes of illustration and shown in theaccompanying drawings in which:

Figs. l and are views of the gauge mechanism in side elevation showingthe carriage in two different positions,

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view showing a last and insole in relationto the individual gauges,

Fig. 3 is a sectional View on the line 3 3 of. Fig. 1,

5 Claims. (Cl. 12-19.2)

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 4--4 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 6 is a View of the gauge mechanism in fron elevation.

In the drawings the gauge mechanism is shown as supported upon the table.Ul of an insole tacker of which the tack nozzle 40 and driver 4I arealso shown. These determine the operative point of the machine where thetack is to be driven and in line with which the .selected point of theinsole must be presented.

The gauging mechanism is carried by a post I i which may .be bolted tothe table I0 and which in'- cludes an overhanging top havin-g ahorizontal guideway in which is mounted a cross slide I2. The positionof the cross slide may be regulated by an adjusting screw I3 which isthreaded into the slide and supported by an arm I4 projecting rearwardlyfrom the post H. In the cross slide i2 is mounted a carriage I5 having avertical guideway for a slide l-B. This, in turn, may be adjustedvertically by an adjusting screw I1 threaded into the slide and `mountedin an arm of the carriage I5. A clamping screw I8 passes through a slotin the slide I6 and serves to clamp the slide in adjusted position atthe desired height.

The slide i E is provided at its lower end with a rearwardly extendingarm I9 and upon this is mounted a carriage 2. An angular bracket 2I isadjustably secured at one side of the carriage Eil by screws 23, and isprovided with a hook to which is connected the rear end of a tensionspring 22. The forward end of the spring is connected to a hookprojecting from the rear side of the slide I6 and the spring tends atall times to move the carriage 2B forwardly to locate the gauges inposition for the presentation of the Work. It will be apparent that thetension of the spring 22 may be regulated by adjusting the position ofthe bracket 2I upon its carriage 20. The forward position of thecarriage 20 and the gauges carried thereby is determined by theengagement of the carriage with the rearface of the slide I5 as shown inFig. 1.

Secured to the carriage 20 by a screw 25 is a bracket 24 having adownwardly extending arm 2t in which is formed a vertical guideway. Aslide 2! is adjustable in this guideway and is Slotted to receive anadjusting screw 28 by which it may be clamped in any position ofvertical adjustifient. The slide 21 carries at its upper end the lasttoe gauge 29 and to the top of the slide is secured the insole toe gauge30 by means of a clamping screw 3|. These two toe gauges are locateddirectly one above the other but are parent that the gauge mechanism isspaced to accomodate the slight divergence of the flat insole from thecurved last bottom as indicated in Fig. 1.

To the bracket 24 is also secured by means of a screw 34 the horizontalarm 32 of an angular bracket which includes a forwardly extendingU-shaped arm 33. An edge gauge 35 is adjustably secured to the atportion of the arm 33 by a clamping screw 3B. The gauge 35 at its upperend is elongated vertically and may include a roller supplying contactsurface both with the insole and the side of the last. The outer arm ofthe bracket 33 extends upwardly and is provided in its upper end with ahorizontal guideway 31 for a ball line gauge 38. This is slotted andprovided with a clamping screw 39 for purposes of adjustment. It isturned down at its outer end in hook formation as shown in Fig. l sothat it is properly positioned to engage the outer side of a right last45 when presented in inverted position as indicated in broken lines inFig. 2. The outer arm of the U-shaped bracket 33 itself provides a gaugesurface for contact with the side of a left last 42 as indicated in fulllines in Fig. 2.

From the foregoing description it will be aprepresented in Fig. 1 in itsforward position in readiness ,to have a last and insole presentedthereto. As-

suming that the individual gauges have been properly adjusted for thestyle of shoe being manufactured and that the operator desires to inserta tack at the point 44 in an insole 43 located upon the last 42, theoperation proceeds as follows. into engagement with the toe gauge 29 andpositioned laterally by engagement with the tip line gauge 35. At thesame time it is swung into engagemeni'l with the ball line gaugeprovided by the outer arm of the U-shaped bracket 33 and thus locatedaccurately by three-point engagement. Meanwhile the insole, or an insolepiece 43, which has been marked for the location of the tack, has beenplaced upon the bottom of the last and is now pushed forwardly intoengagement with the insole toe gauge 30, the edge or tip line gauge 35,and the 4ball line gauge of the bracket 33, so that it is located inaccurate engagement with the contour of the underlying last bottom. Withthe work thus located, the operator presses forwardly upon the last thusmoving the gauged work until the point 44 is located directly under thenozzle 48. The clutch of the tacking machine is then tripped and thetack 46 is driven in exactly the desired predetermined The toe of thelast is rst brought f.

4. comprising a carriage movable longitudinally of the last from aninitial predetermined position, and a toe gauge, a tip line gauge and aball line gauge all mounted for individual adjustment upon said carriageand movable therewith in xed relation in response to pressure exertedagainst the said toe gauge.

2. Gauging mechanism for a `last and insole, comprising a carriagemovable longitudinally of a last from a fixed initial position andhaving a toe gauge disposed in alignment with its path of movement, atip line gauge mounted in the carriage to the rear and at one side ofthe toe gauge, and a ball line gauge mounted to the rear of the tip linegauge and having spaced contact faces for engaging the side of either aright or left last as the same is presented to the toe gauge.

3. In an insole tacking machine having a vertical tack nozzle and driveroperating in a fixed location, a carriage movable in a horizontal pathin line with the nozzle and having toe end gauges for a last and insole,a tip line gauge having a vertically' elongated contact face movablewith said carriage, and a ball line gauge located at a predetermineddistance to the rear of the tip line gauge for gauging the last and asuperposed insole at approximately the ball line of the last.

4. Gauging mechanism for a last and insole comprising a standardhaving avertically and horizontally adjustable carriage therein, a secondhorizontally movable carriage mounted in the first carriage, springmeans normally urging the latter carriage into an outwardly projectingposition while permitting'it to be retracted by manual pressure,vertically spaced last and insole toe gauges mounted on the lattercarriage, a U-shaped bracketV projecting rearwardly from the carriage, atip line gauge projecting upwardly from said bracket at one side of thetoe gauges, and a ball line gauge mounted in the outer arm of saidbracket.

5. In an insole tacking machine having a vertical tack nozzle andVdriver operating in a fixed location, a carriagemounted for movement ina horizontal path beneath the nozzle, a toe end gauge for a last andatoe end gauge for an insole adjustably mounted, one above the other, inthe carriage, an edge gauge also adjustably mounted in the carriage, astop, and spring means for y holding the carriage against the stop whileperpoint. The range of movement of the carriage 20- is suflicient topermit the Work to be advanced still further if desired so that one or1more additional tacks may be driven through the insole at points nearerto the ball line if desired.

Having thus disclosed my invention and described in detail anillustrative embodiment thereof, I claim as new and desire to secure byLetters Patent:

1. Gauging mechanism for a lastV and insole,

mitting it to be advanced by pressure exerted through the last upon thelower of the toe end gauges.

VERNE L. KNEELAND.

' REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Brock and WoodwardNov. 9, 1880 Number

